"Urban Encouragements" My 365-DayProject

I believe creative challenges are always rewarding. In 2014 I decided to do a Photo-A-Day challenge, to try to challenge myself to compose 365 photos to artistically capture my year. Knowing I'd be posting my photos to social media, I decided that what people might need each day, along with an image, was a virtual pat-on-the-back of encouraging words to help them through whatever private struggle they were facing in their own lives. With this in mind, I decided to add an additional layer to my 2014 Photo-A-Day project: along with composing a new photo, I challenged myself to ALSO write 2-3 sentences of motivational thought inspired by the details of the photograph I chose for that day. ​Thank you, for reading, Beautiful!

Trust in Tomorrow! Looking up at this Victorian sun detail on a house in the Haight Ashbury area, I think of the hope inherent in every new day that dawns. No matter what you did, or didn’t do, today, you always have a chance to adjust & make a new attempt at it, tomorrow. Yes, like the “Annie” song, as you brave through harder days, you need to stick up your chin & trust that the sun will come up, tomorrow, and with it, a chance to do something new. Every tomorrow is filled with hope & possibility just waiting around the next corner. ​- Melisa Phillips

Feel You Are on a Roll! I saw this blue wheel of a construction tractor, today & thought about moving your dreams forward. You might feel stuck, right now, but trust that your efforts are working & things are turning in the right direction. Don’t give up. You might not see it, yet, but know that you are gaining momentum & starting to roll.
- Melisa Phillips

Feel Young at Heart! Sunny reflections at the de Young Museum, got me thinking about feeling young, no matter how old you are. In my head, I feel younger than I am, so that helps remind me that age is partly physical & partly mental. Keeping a young attitude, to me, means keeping your energy, curiosity & enthusiasm about your life, and the world around you. We obviously can’t prevent getting older year by year, but we can keep our attitude youthful, curious & spry, no matter our physical age. - Melisa Phillips

Keep Fired Up! I saw this colorful fire hydrant, today & thought it was a vibrant reminder to keep fired up about your goals. You might feel tired of trying so hard for so long, but trust that all your efforts are worth it & you are making more progress than you know. Inspire yourself with books, music, nature, travel, good company, or alone time; anything that excites you can help you to keep your own fire blazing toward your goal. - Melisa Phillips

Use a Simple Approach! Seeing this small square opening in the wall of this yellow house, made me think of approaching any life blocks with the same simple attack. A small, simple square opens a way through this otherwise solid wall; similarly, one small action is all it takes for you to cut through what appears large & dauntingly in your way. A simple process going forward, like doing one thing toward your goal, each day, can provide the little square opening you need to get past any walls you face.
- Melisa Phillips

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Get Past the Obstacles! I saw this blue door with a cut-out opening & thought about getting past the obstacles in your way. Like in this photo, sometimes, it feels like you carve your way through a thick door, only to find a brick wall in your path. Trust in your heart, and the route it is showing you & you can start to find creative ways through, and around the various barriers in your way. -​ Melisa Phillips

Keep Moving Up! I saw this row of entry steps, today & thought about moving up. Seeing your next opportunities as steps, like these staircases, which can lead you up to your goals. Those ideas you’ve been having are good ones; now is the perfect time for you to take that next step to move you up! - Melisa Phillips

Find Doorways Out of Your Pattern! In Potrero Hill, today, this hidden door reminded me that opportunities are everywhere, you just have to see past the colorful camouflage. Our lives can feel like this spray painted pattern of swirls, covering this building. Often, it’s hard to see the doorways out of the crazy design, but they are there if you look for them. Simple acts like being open to new conversations, which give you new thoughts for your future, can feel like spotting a door where you thought none existed. - Melisa Phillips

Ignore the Pressure! Seeing this sprinkler gauge at the Hunter’s Point Shipyards, today & I thought about negative pressures around us to quit on our dreams. When you reach for a goal, especially one that seems out of your reach, there will be people who will tell you your dream is silly, or impossible to achieve. This negative pressure to quit your goal can pile up & drag you down. Happily, in my experience, these advisors are not always correct. There are a lot of dreams out there & lots of people achieving goals which are just as “impossible” as your goal, because they gave it time & persistence. In case you need it, let me be the voice that says: ignore the pressure & keep aiming for your own unique vision of a goal, no matter what that goal may be. Don’t ever quit. - Melisa Phillips

Find Your Next Steps! I walked by this colorful staircase, today & thought about discovering the next steps you need to go forward. They might be somewhat obvious steps, but things you haven’t thought to do, or haven’t had the time for, until now. Now, like in this photo, you can start to see your next steps in your mind. Tackling one small aspect of whatever you want to get done is a step up & a step toward the life you imagine. -Melisa Phillips

Have Faith! I saw these stained glass windows, today & thought about keeping your faith. Not only religious faith, but faith in yourself, your strength, your stamina, your ability to land on your feet & keep taking a new step. Faith in your own skills & talents which help you to carve your unique path forward in your life. Faith you will solve that riddle & come up with a solution to a problem you’ve be rolling around in your mind. Faith that your practice & patience will help inspiration to find you when you need it. Simple faith in yourself & your universe you are creating as you go. As the song goes, you gotta have faith, faith, faith! - Melisa Phillips

Give it Some Sun! I saw this window cover, today & thought about giving your dream some sunlight. You may have been cultivating this dream of yours in relative darkness, perhaps afraid of how others will view it. Be brave; now is the time for you to express your ideas, spread your wings & shine like the Sun you are. Now is the time! -Melisa Phillips